The world premiere of Hamlet Hail to the Thief, a new take on the Shakespeare tragedy infused with the music of Radiohead, is currently underway at Manchester's Aviva Studios, opening May 7. Get a first look at the new production, co-directed and adapted by Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett, in the gallery below.
The run will continue through May 18 before moving to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon June 4-28. The Stratford opening will be June 12. Jess Williams is choreographing, and Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is handling orchestrations.
The cast is led by Samuel Blenkin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) in the title role with Ami Tredrea as Ophelia, Paul Hilton as Claudius and Ghost, Claudia Harrison as Gertrude, Annabel Baldwin as Horatio, Brandon Grace as Laertes, James Cooney as Rosencrantz, Felipe Pacheco as Guildenstern, Tom Peters as Polonius, and Romaya Weaver as Gravedigger. Swings Daniel Davids, Kieran Garland, and Marienella Phillips round out the company. Casting is by Charlotte Sutton.
Samuel Blenkin and Claudia Harrison
Romaya Weaver and James Cooney
Alby Baldwin and Samuel Blenkin
Romaya Weaver and Samuel Blenkin
Samuel Blenkin and Alby Baldwin
Ami Tredrea
Samuel Blenkin
The company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief
Paul Hilton and the company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief
Paul Hilton and Samuel Blenkin
The company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief
The company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief
Paul Hilton and Claudia Harrison
Paul Hilton, Claudia Harrison, and Brandon Grace
Samuel Blenkin and Paul Hilton
Alby Baldwin
Ami Tredrea and Brandon Grace
Brandon Grace, Samuel Blenkin, and the company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief
The company of Hamlet Hail to the Thief
The band comprises Ed Begley, Tom Brady, Joe Downard, Shane Forbes, Megan Hill, Tom Knowles, and Adam Martin.
The work, which features a deconstructed version of the Radiohead album Hail to the Thief reworked by Yorke, is co-produced by Factory International (which is hosting the Manchester run), the Royal Shakespeare Company, and ATC Experience. It is co-produced by Factory International and the RSC, with ATC Experience, Nate Koch, and Vivek J. Tiwary/TEG+.
The production also features arrangements by Justin Levine, music supervision by Tom Brady, set design by AMP Collective featuring Sadra Tehrani, sound design by Gareth Fry, projection design by Will Duke, lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, costume design by Lisa Duncan, and text consultancy and dramaturgy by Ayanna Thompson.
Tickets are at and .
